Floatable pet toys are desirable for pets, such as some dogs, who enjoy playing and swimming in water. They are also desirable for training of dogs to retrieve birds which have been shot over open water. However, if a pet toy is made sufficiently buoyant for this purpose, it lacks the structural integrity needed to keep it from being quickly destroyed by a dog gripping it in its teeth during retrieval.
Smith U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,296 discloses a tubular canvas pet toy that is closed on both ends and filled with weighted parts, such as tennis balls. The weighted parts have the ability to move within the tube and will tend to move away from where the animal is holding the toy.
Garrison U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,202 discloses a cylindrical body which may be made of hardwood and has a central bore through which a cord extends the length of the body. The cord extends beyond the body on both ends and has mobility through the central bore. The cord acts as a pull toy and offers resistance when the animal tries to pull it to one end.
Edwards U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,219 discloses a polyurethane toy shaped as a bone. The polyurethane may be impregnated with air bubbles to make the toy lighter than water to allow the toy to float. The air bubbles weaken the polyurethane and the toy is more easily destroyed by chewing.
The present invention is an improvement on applicant's Cool Kong.TM. pet toy which floats in water. The Cool Kong.TM. consists of a hollow body with an opening in one end, and a diaphragm or plug that covers the opening trapping air within the body. The body is made from an elastomeric material that provides some buoyancy and the trapped air provides additional buoyancy. Although the Cool Kong.TM. satisfies the purposes for which it was designed, it does not provide the degree of buoyancy and durability of the present invention.